Forming Consistent Writing Habits

Stephen King said, ‘If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.’

 

I chose to quote Stephen King because I am a fan (his book:  'The Stand' is one of my all-time favourites) and what he says is unequivocally true. It all comes down to reading and writing if you want to succeed as an author and the 'a lot' part; well, that's where consistency comes into it.

Forming consistent writing habits was a real game changer for me. As a naturally unstructured person (Sagittarian), I wield my creativity as dictated by inspiration. While this approach has allowed me to achieve a lot, there comes a point where the unreliable muse of creativity doesn’t comply with deadlines, and inconsistent output leads to failure to finish

It took me a long time to accept that I needed to build habits unrelated to creative outpourings. However, I have finally achieved consistent writing habits that are now part of my everyday life. Here’s what I do:

Write Every Day (if possible – life happens and of course you need a holiday now and again)

I write every morning. or do some kind of author task. This is often done from 4:30am on the mornings I am not running. If I do run, I write when I get back, coffee in hand until I have to prepare for work. The morning is golden time. No interruptions and a bright mind. The only issue is having to stop and slip back into reality. That can make me feel grumpy.

When I get home from work, I often fit in some writing or author task and also, after dinner I try and get some more work completed.

Dropping to a 4-day week in mid-2024 and having a creative day, was a game changer. I was able to produce many beautiful soul lights which in turn paid for my self-publishing costs and also write more than usual on this day.

It must be noted that these writing habits are possible because my children are older and independent. I came late to this dedicated writing game and the main reason is because of the solitary time it requires. If I had tried out the early morning ‘golden’ time, I suppose I could have given it a crack with kids, but then again, I suspect, I would have been too tired.

Read Every Day

 They say to read in the genre you write and this is a game-changer. It’s also good to read other things outside of your preferred genres. I have learnt so much from reading great authors. Reading has an osmosis effect upon my writing - I suspect, anyone's writing.

Reading for extended periods is a luxury usually reserved for holidays, when I can devour a book in a day if it’s really good. Generally, I read before going to sleep and often manage only a chapter or so. It generally takes me forever to finish a book, but I recently discovered audible and now listen to audio books in the car and when I’m doing menial cleaning tasks. I love the dramatized books!

My next self-indulgent spend is a Kindle. I never thought I’d read eBooks, but in the advent of yet another move (and another to follow shortly after that), I need to reduce my physical book load. Heartbreaking, I know but I love the thought of having a Kindle in my bag with me and being able to read wherever I am (instead of scrolling on my phone) is exciting.

I’m proud to say that I've been very consistent in my dedicated writing habits over the last few years and I don’t see it slowing down.  I don't compare myself to other authors who smash out thousands of words a session - I just go at my own speed and I'm starting to hit my stride!

I’ve already got a list of projects to come and I’m working hard to see them to actuality. It just has to happen one-at-a-time. The challenge will be marketing my easy-to-read range while working toward the release of new material.

And one parting thought: if I wasn’t writing, what would I be doing in my spare time?

I have no idea!

Here is my current writer's zone. I've spent uncountable hours at this desk and computer.